Nokia Windows RT Tablet To Feature Surface-Like Keyboard Cover

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Nokia's new Windows RT tablet, rumored for early 2013, will have a battery-equipped keyboard cover, much like Microsoft's Surface.

Sources told The Verge that the 10.1-inch tablet will include HDMI and USB ports, and cellular connectivity. AT&T will likely be the first carrier to stock it in the US.

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"We're told that the large majority of Nokia's focus with its tablet is on a battery-equipped cover," said The Verge. "Nokia will release a special cover for the tablet that envelops it like a book. Clicking into place, the cover provides a keyboard and a kickstand for the tablet. Nokia has also built a battery into the cover that can be used to power the tablet once it runs low on energy."

Microsoft launched the Windows RT operating system, specifically designed for touchscreen devices, in October, alongside its own Surface tablet. Nokia is a close partner of Microsoft and was one of the first manufacturers to produce smartphones based on the new Windows Phone 8 OS.

Nokia's move into tablet space is a bold one, and a risky one. Early reports have indicated that Windows RT machines are struggling in terms of sales. DigiTimes, as reported by Business Insider, said in November that Microsoft has cut Surface orders from its Taiwanese manufacturing partners by half - from four million to only two million units. Other Windows RT tablet makers, like ASUS, Samsung, and Dell are also seeing weak demand for Windows 8 tablets, the report said.

Nokia is reportedly only planning on building a small number of Windows RT tablets based on an ARM chip to begin with, with a view to potentially building a Windows 8 device later. The Finnish company is expected to unveil the tablet at Mobile World Congress in February next year.